During this period, a remarkable Rus sian offensive had been in full swing on Austria's eastern front. The supreme command of the Russian armies had been assumed nominally by the Czar, although General Alexieff, assisted by Ivanoff and Brusiloff, was really at the head of op erations. The successes attained were among the most remarkable of the war, both in the territory gained and the num ber of prisoners taken. Lutsk was cap tured June 6, and Dubno on the 8th. On June 17, the Russians captured the im portant city of Czernowitz, and by the 23d had overrun the whole of Bukowina. Kolomea was taken June 29. On July 8 the Russians captured Delatyn, and cut the railroad that ran through one of the passes of the Carpathians. During these operations, thousands and tens of thousands of prisoners were being taken every day, and by the time the campaign came to an end, about the first of Sep tember, the Russians had occupied 7,000 square miles of territory and taken 400, 000 prisoners. A most damaging blow had been dealt to the Austrian morale, which was not made up by the conquest of Rumania, which was carried through by Germans, Bulgarians, and Turks with but little Austrian assistance.
In February of 1917, the Austrians attacked the Italians in the vicinity of Gorizia and on the Carso Plateau, in an endeavor to regain the initiative. But the effort came to nothing and the op posing armies remained quiescent until the middle of May, when the Italians started a terrific offensive, that was maintained continuously for eighteen days. The operations were carried on at a point on the Isonzo between Tol mino and Gorizia, and Vodice Ridge and Mt. Cucco were speedily captured, with other important strategic points. The arrival of heavy reinforcements held the drive in check for a while, but it was resumed on Aug. 19. A marked suc cess was gained in the capture of Monte Santo and more than forty killages, while the Austrian lines were penetrated to a depth of 7 miles on an 11-mile front.
On the eastern front, another offen sive was launched by the Russians on July 1, 1917, with Lemberg as an ob jective. The Russians reached points within 40 miles of that city, and then were stopped. The Russian army was by this time honeycombed with mutiny and a prey to Bolshevist influences. By July 21 it was in full retreat, whole regiments and brigades throwing away their arms and refusing to fight. The collapse of Russia had begun, and the pursuit of the retreating troops by the Austrians and Germans was unhindered by any seri ous resistance. Stanislau, Tarnopol, and Czernowitz were recaptured in quick suc cession, as the Russians fled toward their own frontiers. There was no longer
aggressive action to be feared from that quarter, and Austria was free to throw the bulk of her forces against the Italian front.
That concentration, with the assist ance of the Germans, was instrumental in gaining a momentous victory over the Italians. But the greatest contributing element to this victory was the skillful use of subtle propaganda among a cer 24—Vol. I—Cyc tain corps of the army that had weak ened its morale. On Oct. 24, a ter rific attack was begun by the combined German and Austrian armies, headed by picked divisions of German shock troops. The violence of the onset broke the Ital ian lines, and what was almost a panic followed. The offensive carried every thing before it. In a week the Teutons had captured 23,000 guns and 250,000 men. The first stand of the Italians was at the Tagliamento, where they endeav ored to hold back the invaders, but were forced three days later to continue their retreat to Livenza. Their resistance was stiffening, however, and when they reached the Piave they were at last able to halt their pursuers. The Austro Germans, however, still achieved further important strategical successes in the mountain region, and pushed their lines forward until they were within 8 miles of the Venetian plain. Here, however, they were compelled to pause. Another attempt to overwhelm the Italians, be fore snow should come to their aid in blocking the mountain passes, was mado on Dec. 3, and resulted in six days of severe fighting, in which the invaders made some real but not vital gains. The offensive then came practically to a halt. Venice had not been captured, but im portant positions had been gained that seemed to promise easy access to the Venetian plain as soon as the coming of spring should permit the resumption of operations on a vast scale.
The danger was perceived and to some extent rectified by the Allies during the winter. Veteran forces of British and French troops had been hurried to the relief of the Italians, not only to rein force their numbers, but to strengthen their morale, which had been shaken by the disaster they had suffered. While the latter were reorganizing and rehabil itating their forces, the French and Brit ish, under the direction of General Fayolle and General Pluiner respectively, carried out brilliant local actions in the mountains and on the Piave that greatly improved the Allied positions. Vigor ous attacks in late December and Jan uary wiped out Austrian salients on Monte Tomba and on the Piave, and closed the gates through which the next Austro-German movement was expected.